Dera Sacha Sauda chief held guilty in rape case -Governance Now

Dera Sacha Sauda chief held guilty in rape case

A former follower had accused the dera chief of sexually assaulting her

GN Bureau | August 25, 2017

#Sirsa #sexually exploited #CBI #Gurmeet Ram Rahim #Dera Sacha Sauda #Haryana #Chandigarh

Self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, who heads Dera Sacha Sauda, was convicted on Friday in a rape case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Haryana’s Panchkula town.

Ram Rahim, who was expected to fly to Panchkula, instead drove down in a luxury SUV on roads that were lined by his supporters who waved to him. He left his sprawling dera in Sirsa in a motorcade of over a 100 vehicles.

It had been a tense few days in Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab as the date for announcing the verdict neared. Ram Rahim’s followers had begun to pour into Panchkula since the past couple of days and they were camping in different sectors. It was estimated that nearly 2 lakh supporters had arrived ahead of the judgement.

The authorities were concerned that violence may break out after the verdict due to which Panchkula had been turned into a virtual garrison town.

The police and the para military troopers patrolled the area. The army too was called in to ensure that law and order was maintained.

The railways on Friday cancelled over 200 Haryana-bound trains.

Ram Rahim has been accused of sexually exploiting two women at the Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa, which is about 250 km from Haryana capital Chandigarh.

The CBI had lodged the FIR against him in 2002. The action had been initiated after an anonymous letter addressed to then prime minister, purportedly written by a sadhvi, came to light. The sadhvi alleged that she and other sadhvis were raped. She had also sought an inquiry.

Ram Rahim steadfastly maintained that he is innocent.

The self-styled godman has a massive following and has also acted in two movies.

Comments

Other News

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal

A right she cannot reach

Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour

When religion, politics and Bollywood come together

Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj